Research On "The Spring And Autumn Of The Grass"

Spring Vegetation Kingdoms, a mythical chapter novel written in vernacular Chinese, is comprised of 32 chapters and authored by "Xiaosi Creek in the clouds". In this novel the author borrows a large quantity of vegetation names, and gives expression to his political aspirations as well as his literary talent through the battle story between Liu Jinu, the Han Emperor and Croton Rhubarb, the king of Pepper Kingdom. On one hand, this original novel shares the general characteristics of mythical war novels in terms of its fictional story; on the other hand, it also has traits beyond ordinary literary works for its wide use of herbal vegetation names.This paper aims to study the value of Spring Vegetation Kingdoms from the following two aspects. Textually speaking, it expounds the philosophy of life with fantasy words and fictional plots. It preaches benevolence, loyalty to the emperor and the belief that evil can never prevail over good, and desires to build a harmonious and happy family, but at the same time is full of powerlessness toward the vicissitude of life between the lines. Culturally speaking, the fiction interplays well with religion and the Chinese herbal medicine. Though backgrounded by wars between gods and demons, it embodies Buddhism and Taoism and simple folk thought of reincarnation. It is the inseparable contact with Chinese herbal medicine that makes the most distinctive feature of the novel. Despite the great variety of Chinese herbal medicine, the novel succeeds in creating characters consistent with properties of herbal medicine.